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Ras Appe / Appe dipped in sweet coconut milk

Ras Appe as the name goes is a traditional, simple sweet recipe wherein appe are dipped in sweet coconut milk. This dish is offered as a naivedyam too. I learnt this recipe from my mom and this is one of my favourite recipes.

Rinse split black gram dal (urad dal) and raw rice well. Soak them separately in water for at least 4 hours. Soak the fenugreek seeds along with rice.

Grind the rice to a slightly coarse paste and urad dal to a smooth paste separately adding little water. Mix both the batters well, add salt and mix well. Cover and keep the batter aside overnight to ferment.

Next morning mix the batter well. Check the taste for salt. Add if required. The batter should be of thick dropping consistency. If not add a little water, stir well to get an even mix of dropping consistency.

To prepare the appe first heat the appe pan on low flame and when hot grease each depression of the appe pan with oil. Fill in each depression only 3/4th with the batter. Cover with a steam release lid and cook on low flame till light golden in colour on the underside and top is cooked. Turn over with a fork and fry the other side till done. Stir the batter each time you fill the appe depression, as the rice being slightly coarse, will tend to settle down.

Once done remove the appe and dip the hot appe in the sweet coconut milk.

After 3 to 4 minutes serve appe dipped in sweet coconut milk in dessert bowls and serve it as a sweet dessert or as an accompaniment with any spicy breakfast dish.

TIP :

Using a cast iron appe pan also known as bhidacha appe patra in Marathi gives the perfect taste and texture to the appe that is crisp on the outside and soft inside. I do admit it requires a little extra oil. In case you are using a cast iron appe pan grease it with oil the night prior to making the appe. By doing so the appe will not stick to the moulds.

Now, why should one grind the rice to a slightly coarse paste? Well, simply because when you grind rice a little coarsely the appe will get a very nice spongy inner texture as the slightly coarse rice gets cooked.

Shallow fry on LOW flame only.

NOTE :

The appe we prepare on a regular basis are crisp on the outside and soft inside, but here the appe should be just crisp not very crisp as the coconut milk should be absorbed by the appe.

DO NOT SOAK the appe for long because they swell as the coconut milk gets absorbed.